What to Do When a Money Tree's Leaves Turn Yellow? Diagnose with These Ten Causes
Recently, many friends have told us that the leaves of their money trees (Pachira aquatica) have gradually begun to turn yellow bit by bit. There are many reasons that cause a money tree's leaves to turn yellow, including external factors like climate, or the money tree itself being troubled by pests and diseases. So how do you diagnose the cause of a money tree's yellowing leaves? Let's look at them one by one below!
1. Improper watering: The money tree likes a warm, humid climate, and the potting soil is best kept moist, but when grown indoors the soil is generally not watered until it is dry, and when watered it should be watered thoroughly. This is because if you do not water thoroughly and only wet the top while the bottom stays dry, nutrient absorption will be affected, causing the leaves to become dull and lusterless and gradually wither and yellow from the bottom up and drop off. In this case, you need to water sparingly and mist frequently, so that it gradually recovers before returning to normal watering.
2. Unsuitable lighting: The money tree likes light, but cannot tolerate strong direct sunlight, and prefers half shade or scattered light; only in winter does it need better light conditions to grow well. From late April onward, you can choose a clear, warm midday to move the pot outdoors or onto a balcony to receive direct sunlight for 1-2 hours, gradually extending the time, which will give very good growing results. If kept in shade or a dim place for a long time, the leaves will turn yellow and drop, and in severe cases the plant may even wither and die.
3. Pest and disease control: Leaf spot is a common disease of the money tree; the symptom is that a few spots appear first, then the spots gradually expand and spread to the entire leaf, which then drops off. Garlic juice can be sprayed to sterilize it. As for pests, the main ones are red spider mites and scale insects. Red spider mites are small, with a body length of less than 1 mm, and can be effectively controlled with acaricides such as mancozeb, dicofol and trichlorfon. Scale insects vary in size depending on the species and their color also varies greatly, but they share one common feature: they are round or oval, generally do not move, and cling tightly to the plant's stems or leaf stalks, sucking sap. When there are few, you can wipe them clean with a cloth strip, because scale insects die as soon as they leave the plant; when there are many, you can spray a 0.2% solution of essential balm or laundry detergent to control them.
4. Too much fertilizer: Generally, during the money tree's optimum growth temperature period, fertilizer should be applied regularly to ensure vigorous growth; usually a light fertilizer is applied once about every 20 days, and when repotting, well-rotted base fertilizer should be added. However, applying too much fertilizer, or applying fertilizer that has not been rotted, will burn the money tree's roots and cause the leaves to turn yellow and drop.
5. Dust on the leaves: If the dust on the leaf surface is too thick, it not only affects the appearance but also affects the plant's respiration and photosynthesis, thus causing the leaves to turn yellow. The dust should be wiped off promptly.
6. Incorrect repotting procedure: When changing the soil, incorrect handling can also cause the money tree's leaves to turn yellow. When repotting a money tree, try to damage the roots as little as possible; the growing medium added should be sterile, breathable, fertile and slightly acidic, and the potting soil should be firmed down with no gaps left; if gaps remain, no matter how much water is given, the plant will still suffer from a lack of water, causing the leaves to turn yellow.
7. Low ambient temperature: The money tree likes a warm, humid environment, and its optimum growth temperature is 20-30°C. Below 18°C the money tree stops growing; it can adapt to temperatures as low as 10°C, but the temperature must never go below 5°C, otherwise cold damage will occur, with yellow, falling leaves in mild cases and death in severe cases.
8. Hot, high temperatures: For a money tree that likes a warm, humid environment, if it is placed in high temperatures and exposed to scorching sun, the plant's transpiration becomes excessive, and the roots cannot supply enough water and nutrients, which very easily causes the leaf tips to scorch or the leaves to turn yellow and drop; it must be moved promptly to a well-ventilated, shady place.
9. Too dense and poorly ventilated: If the money tree's branches and leaves grow too luxuriantly and are not pruned for a long time, the inner branches and leaves do not get enough light, which very easily causes the leaves to turn yellow and drop; pruning should be strengthened promptly to allow ventilation and light penetration.
10. Soil and water on the alkaline side: In most areas of the north, the soil and water contain relatively more salt and alkali, which is not very suitable for growing the acid-loving money tree, because the soil lacks iron that the plant can absorb, and the money tree's leaves will gradually turn yellow. Therefore, when planting, pay attention to choosing acidic soil and frequently water with alum fertilizer water during the growing period.
Based on the ten causes above that may lead to yellowing leaves on a money tree, you can check them one by one and then treat the specific cause to solve the problem of yellowing money tree leaves. Different causes require different treatments to be most effective!